Tossing game system with hand puppets and ball

ABSTRACT

A tossing game system includes hand puppets and a ball whose outer surface is covered in loop type material. A tennis or similar type ball is covered with loop type material. Once tossed, the ball is caught in the mouth of a hand puppet, which is worn on the player&#39;s arm and makes a sound effect when the ball is caught. The hand puppet preferably takes the form of an animal, cartoon character, or similarly popular figure and produces a corresponding sound effect. The mouth of the hand puppet contains a contact patch of hook type material. The ball is then thrown with the player&#39;s uncovered hand, and caught in the mouth of a similar hand puppet worn by another player. The hook and loop type closures on the surface of the ball and hand puppet will enable small children to easily catch the ball.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTINGCOMPACT DISK APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to games played with balls, and inparticular to a tossing game system involving hand puppets whose mouthis made from hook type material and a ball whose outer surface iscovered in loop type material and features sound effects. The parents ofsmall children often have difficulty keeping their children entertained.A tossing game, in which a tennis ball or similar ball covered with looptype material that is caught in the mouth of a hand puppet, where thehand puppet's mouth is lined with hook type material to produce an easycatch by a young child and produce a sound effect will be highlyentertaining to the child. The sound produced once the ball is caught bythe hand puppet will encourage and entertain the child or childrenplaying the game. This system would provide safe and inexpensiveentertainment for young children while encouraging physical activity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the invention is directed to a tossing game systeminvolving hand puppets and a ball whose outer surface is covered in looptype material. A tennis or similar type ball is covered with loop typematerial. Once tossed, the ball is caught in the mouth of a hand puppet,which is worn on the player's arm and makes a sound effect when the ballis caught. The hand puppet preferably takes the form of an animal,cartoon character, or similarly popular figure and produces acorresponding sound effect. The mouth of the hand puppet contains acontact patch of hook type material. The ball is then thrown with theplayer's uncovered hand, and caught in the mouth of a similar handpuppet worn by another player. The hook and loop type closures on thesurface of the ball and hand puppet will enable small children to easilycatch the ball.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth inthe description which follows, and will be apparent from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Theforegoing general description and the following detailed description areexemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide furtherexplanation of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated into and constitutea part of the specification. They illustrate one embodiment of theinvention and, together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention.

FIG. 1 shows a front view of a hand puppet component and ball componentof the first exemplary embodiment displaying the hand puppet 10 having amouth 11 and contact patch 14, together with a ball 12.

FIG. 2 shows a front view of a hand puppet component with a ballcomponent positioned in the mouth displaying the hand puppet 10, mouth11, and ball 12.

FIG. 3 shows a front view of the first exemplary embodiment worn on aplayer's arm, displaying the hand puppet 10, the mouth 11, the ball 12,and the arm of the user 13.

FIG. 4 shows a front view of the first exemplary embodiment displayingthe hand puppet 10, mouth 11, contact patch 14, and internalelectromechanical voice box 15.

FIG. 5 shows a side profile view of the first exemplary embodiment ofdisplaying the hand puppet 10, mouth 11, and contact patch 14.

FIG. 6 shows a side profile view of the first exemplary embodiment ofdisplaying the hand puppet 10, mouth 11, contact patch 14, internalelectromechanical voice box 15, control cable 16, and pressure switch17.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the invention in more detail, the invention is directedto a tossing game system involving hand puppets 10 and a ball 12. A ball12, such as a tennis or similar type ball, is at least partially coveredwith loop type material. The ball 12 is tossed and caught in the mouth11 of a hand puppet 10, which provides a contact patch 14 of a hook typematerial concealing an electronic pressure switch 17. The hand puppet 10preferably takes the form of an animal, cartoon character, or similarlyrecognizable figure and produces a corresponding sound effect from anelectromechanical voice box 15 when the pressure switch 17 is activated,which occurs when the ball is caught. The hand puppet 10 is preferablyworn on the player's arm 13. The mouth 11 of the hand puppet 10 ispreferably lined with hook type material. The ball 12 is then preferablythrown with the player's uncovered hand, and caught in the mouth 11 of asimilar hand puppet 10 worn by another player. When the other playercatches the ball 12, a sound effect corresponding to the animal orfigure depicted is activated. The hook and loop closures enable smallchildren to easily catch the ball 12. The hook and loop closure isformed when the surface of the ball 12 meets the mouth 11 of the handpuppet 10. The loop type material is comprised of thin fine plasticloops which become entangled in the stiff plastic hooks of the hook typematerial, when the two materials meet, forming a temporary bond betweenthe two materials.

The ball 12 would preferably be constructed from a tennis size ball,composed of a hollow rubber ball covered with loop type material whichcovers the entire outer surface. Each of the hand puppets 10 would beconstructed to resemble an animal, cartoon character or other popularfigure, and would preferably be constructed from a soft, flexible,washable, stain resistant fabric such as cotton, wool, a cotton-rayonblend, or a cotton-polyester blend. Multiple embodiments for the handpuppets 10 are contemplated and additional hand puppets 10 wouldpreferably be made available separately.

Each hand puppet 10 would have an electromechanical voice box 15designed to react to the impact of the ball 12 in the mouth 11 at thepressure switch 17 concealed within the contact patch 14, and respondwith a sound effect corresponding to the animal or figure depicted bythe hand puppet 10. A sound recording, a memory device, amicroprocessor, and a speaker are included in the electromechanicalvoice box 15, which is in electronic communication with the pressureswitch at the contact patch 14 by a control cable 16. When the ball 10hits the contact switch at the contact patch 14 in the mouth 11 of thehand puppet 12 the microprocessor retrieves a sound recording from thememory device and plays the sound file through the speaker.

The game system's components will preferably include at least one ball12 and two hand puppets 10. More or fewer hand puppets 10 arecontemplated. Alternate embodiments of the game system would involvelicensure and representation, as hand puppets 10, of NASCAR drivers,Disney or Warner Brothers or other famous cartoon or live-actioncharacters, World Wrestling Entertainment characters, or other figuresfrom sports, politics, music, film, television, or popular culture.

Component sizes and materials listed above are preferable, but artisanswill recognize that alternate components, could be selected withoutaltering the scope of the invention.

While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one ofordinary skill to make and use what is presently considered to be thebest mode thereof, those of ordinary skill in the art will understandand appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, andequivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. Theinvention should, therefore, not be limited by the above describedembodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methodswithin the scope and spirit of the invention.

We claim:
 1. A hand puppet catch game comprising: (a) at least one handpuppet; (b) a ball; (c) said at least one hand puppet having a mouth;(d) a contact patch; (e) said contact patch being located inside saidmouth; (f) said ball and said contact patch being configured so as toreleasably engage to one another upon contact; (g) a pressure switch;(h) a voice box; (i) said voice box and said pressure switch being inelectronic communication; (j) said voice box being configured so as toplay back a sound effect in response to the activation of said pressureswitch; (k) said pressure switch being integral to said at least onehand puppet and located behind said contact patch; (l) said pressureswitch being configured so as to be activated by said ball impactingsaid contact patch.
 2. The hand puppet catch game of claim 1 whereinsaid at least one hand puppet is shaped and decorated so as to resemblea recognizable figure, and wherein said sound effect corresponds to saidrecognizable figure.
 3. The hand puppet catch game of claim 2 whereinsaid recognizable figure is a licensed representation of any of thegroup of: cartoon characters, live action characters, athletes,politicians, NASCAR drivers, World Wrestling Entertainment performers,politicians, musicians, film actors, television actors, or popularcultural figures.
 4. The hand puppet catch game of claim 1 wherein theexterior of said ball is at least partially covered by loop typematerial, and wherein the exterior of said contact patch is covered byhook type material.
 5. The hand puppet catch game of claim 2 wherein theexterior of said ball is at least partially covered by loop typematerial, and wherein the exterior of said contact patch is covered byhook type material.
 6. The hand puppet catch game of claim 3 wherein theexterior of said ball is at least partially covered by loop typematerial, and wherein the exterior of said contact patch is covered byhook type material.
 7. The hand puppet catch game of claim 1 wherein twoof said at least one hand puppet are provided.
 8. The hand puppet catchgame of claim 2 wherein two of said at least one hand puppet areprovided.
 9. The hand puppet catch game of claim 3 wherein two of saidat least one hand puppet are provided.
 10. The hand puppet catch game ofclaim 4 wherein two of said at least one hand puppet are provided. 11.The hand puppet catch game of claim 5 wherein two of said at least onehand puppet are provided.
 12. The hand puppet catch game of claim 6wherein two of said at least one hand puppet are provided.